This study has two major purposes: (1) to see if there are adverse physical and mental health effects associated with bereavement of sexagenarians; and (2) to identify factors associated with amelioration or aggrevation of these health effects. Minor purposes will be to ascertain changes in residence, diet, and social functioning of elderly persons occurring over a two year period and the association of these changes with bereavement. A prospective epidemiologic study is proposed of women 65 to 70 years of age; a group at high risk of becoming widowed. They will be interviewed before this event takes place and will be followed for two years after the death of the spouse. The major focus will be to study the health effects of this event, both physical and psychiatric and the factors that may mediate between the event and the effects. Data will be gathered from all of the women in this age group who are still married at the time of interview. Questions will concern health, social support systems, functioning, life satisfaction, and depression. As each woman becomes widowed, she will be matched to three non-widowed women, and they all will be followed by a two year period. Each one will be interviewed five times (every 6 months) in addition to the base-line interview. Comparison will be made between the widowed and non-widowed and differences among the widowed will be examined. A large and growing number of elderly women face the prospect of widowhood. If certain factors are found to be associated with negative health effects among recently widowed women, avenues of preventive intervention will be opened, to the extent that the pertinent factors can be changed.